


Lost Youth | First Wizarding War

by Ren_inthegarden



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:14:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24281911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ren_inthegarden/pseuds/Ren_inthegarden
Summary: "Our youth has been stolen from us." Lily whispered to the witches and wizards gathered around the table, after the first meeting with all the members of the Order.- - -It's 1980. As the First Wizarding War reaches its peak, one generation gives up their youth in order to guarantee the next generation finds a world better than the one they are facing. In a series of events evolving around the original Order of the Phoneix,  the marauders and their friends reflect on the years gone by and what the Wizarding War meant for them.
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Marauders & Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Marlene McKinnon
Kudos: 3





	Lost Youth | First Wizarding War

**Author's Note:**

> The story is loosely based on several fan-made videos about the Marauders era available on youtube. This is a prompt I have been working on for a while. I intend to come back to it as soon as I can think of a way to develop this better Let me know your thoughts.
> 
> There will be several short stories following each character's perception of this scene, as well as the memories that come to them as they discuss the war.
> 
> Please leave a comment, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Cheers,  
> R

Lily was not scared.

She was worried for every single person standing beside her, she was anxious for news on the whereabouts of her friends that were out on missions...She was tired, and she couldn't remember the last time she hadn't been worried. She touched her stomach with a sigh. Her belly was already showing and her morning sickness was nothing compared to how nauseous she felt everytime Dumbledore updated the missing people's list.

James held her hand as Dumbledore continued to mention the names of people that had recently disappeared. She closed her eyes. They were sitting in the living room of Dorcas Meadow. Her house served as the latest temporary headquarter of the Order. Dorcas was standing up, listening closely to everything Dumbledore said, with fire behind her hazel eyes. Lily admired how Dorcas did not allow her facial expressions to give away what she was truly feeling. Sirius, Peter and Lupin were on the sofa near the fire, staring at the flames. Marlene McKinnon was sitting by herself right beside Dumbledore, and Lily and James shared the other sofa, near where Frank Longbottom was taking notes. His mind was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. "Lidia Trevor, Aurora, Isabel and Margot Mckinnon, Laurence Leeds, Monica Robin..." Dumbledore continued to recite the names without a pause. Everyone stole a glance at Marlene. Her family was being chased down as if the Death Eaters were out hunting each and everyone of them. Recently her younger sister Margot and her cousins were kidnapped during one of Voldemort's latest attacks on a muggle village the Order thought would keep them safe from harm.

Marlene did not move an inch and did not move her eyes away from the flames burning on Dorcas' fireplace. Everyone felt sorry for her, which just made Marlene really angry (all the bloody time).

"And Finally...I'd like to ask a favour of all of you. I want you to be very careful. More than usual." He looked directly to Sirius and James. "I must also warn all of you - most of his followers have become more..." Dumbledore took a moment to carefully chose how to position his words, as if it would make any difference. "they've become much more vicious than usual. We knew they had been following some kind of procedure...Unfortunately, this is not the case anymore." Everyone in the room held their breath for a moment.

"No more outings to watch muggle plays now, I suppose." James muttered under his breath into Lily's ear, trying to make her feel a bit lighter, reminding her of their weekly ritual of going to watch random plays wherever they were. Lily faked a smile back at him, thankful for his effort.

Marlene McKinnon was the first to speak to the group after the short silence that proceeded the meeting.

"I'm very tired of this. I feel like we should be out there more often. Our hide-and-seeek strategy is CLEARLY not working for anyone but Voldemort's fellows...We need to do something!" Marlene McKinnon shouted at Dumbledore. Her angry brown eyes were bright as daylight. "We can't keep half of the Order hidden because of their new methodos or whoever they are after now. " She keep her eyes locked with Dumbledore. Lily could notice everyone looking away to avoid sharing their pity with the young witch. "We've been buried in maps and charts, coordinating things from afar, Professor...And for what? Something has to be done. We are not doing enough." "Marlene..." Remus whispered, as if he tried to calm her down. He was good at it, Lily thought. She wondered if Marlene fancied him and pushed the thought away knowing she was being silly. Dumbledore blinked very slowly as if to breath in her reaction to the latest developments reported by him. Besides his warning, they also had just learned important plans being carried out by key Death Eaters. "Marlene has a point, Dumbledore." Frank Longbottom pointed bluntly, to everyone's surprise. "They won't stop looking for whoever we're hiding now, what's the point of weakening previous plans just to keep people safe if...If we can't keep the Order safe? The wizarding world safe?" "Brave words, my friend." Dumbledore replied, with a smile to both Frank and Marlene. The witch crossed her arms, watching Dumbledore and smiling at Frank. Before reading the missing people's update, Dumbledore had established that missions that were previously scheduled should proceed without alterations and that the people designated to stay hidden, would continue hidden. That included a long list of members of the Order, incluiding Frank and Marlene.

"I'm afraid you're going to be contradicted, once again, Miss McKinnon." Dumbledore continued smiling to the blonde young witch, holding her gaze with kind eyes. She sat down, plotting how she would corner Dumbledore after the meeting to try, yet again, to leave the headquarters.

Lily once again tried to read the room, as she always did. Remus was very anxious at how Marlene might reacht and she could see Sirius smirking like a teenager. Sirius knew Marlene was furious but he couldn't help grinning at her grimaces. She was clearly cross, and Lily noticed James avoiding her furious gaze at him for not saying something. James treated her like a young sister sometimes, as if he wanted her to be encouraged to be annoyingly cocky. 

"Now...Miss Meadow," Dumbledore nodded at Marlene and looked at Dorcas. Her blonde locks were gently falling on her shoulder and her hazel eyes were mild now. Dorcas was beautiful, Lily thought to herself, and Marlene was...Something. "some tea maybe?" Dumbledore continued. "I've learned some interesting things from a Muggle Magazine that I'm excited to try, if you don't mind guiding me through the kitchen." Dumbledore got up and followed Dorcas through the long hall that led to the kitchen.

As soon as they left for the corridor that led to the kitchens, every wizard in the room moved around. Remus rested his chin on his hands as he whispered something to Sirius (clearly frustrated after being ignored). Frank got up and followed Dorcas and Dumbledore into the kitchen as he shrugged to Marlene. Pettigrew looked uncomfortably out of place between Remus and the chair Marlene was sitting on. 

James looked at Lily smiling as if he had just got a detention. "This should be good..." He rested back on the couch and winked at Sirius.

"Not everything is about you, McKinnon." Sirius said in a mocking tone. Marlene was not having it, she got up and pulled her wand out. Everyone laughed at first, but Marlene didn't move. Remus got up and looked at her, and Marlene dropped her arm beside her body numbly. She looked genuinely hurt. 

"I'm sorry about the outburst," She said looking directly at Remus. "I'm just frustrated. I'm angry. I can't bare to just stay here. Waiting..." She wasn't talking to anyone in particular now. Her eyes kept escaping to the corner of the sofa where Sirius was sitting.

"I think I need some tea as well." James looked at Lily as if trying to send her a message with her eyes and got up. "Lils?" She nodded and followed.

"Come on Marley, don't be angry at Dumbledore." Remus Lupin got up and sat down where Dumbledore was a few minutes before. He touched Marlene's knee as if trying to encourage her awkwardly. Remus breath in very heavily, with a serious air, as if he were about to say something to cheer her up. "That's what you get for being the biggest blood traitor of all time, dearest" Sirus said, getting up to look at the drinks cart nearby the corridor. He shrugged indifferently as he walked away. Marlene frowned looking hurt again, the small "v" between her brows telling Sirius more than he wanted to hear.

"Marley, I'm sorry." Remus whispered to Marlene. She looked at him earnestly. "If you look at it the other way...No one is keeping you here out of pity, we just couldn't be bothered to care about ourselves and you during a mission, right?" He said it in a tone genuinely trying to make her feel better.

"Thank you for that, Remus." She replied smiling, feeling her heart trying to crack her chest open. Marlene got up slowly and walked over to the drink cart along with Sirius.

"Are you not lecturing me?" She asked in a whisper as Sirius poured brandy in two small glass cups. She was doing what she did best: act like an immature teenager. Avoiding the serious subjects talked about not even 5 minutes before that, pretending half of her family wasn't gone, burying deep down any vulnerabilty that could undermine her.

"Drop it, McKinnon. I'm just making you a drink. I don't think you want to "talk about it", nor do I." Sirius replied in a dark tone. Marlene kept her eyes again, feeling silly.

[to be continued]


End file.
